I have a high-rise cap on my truck, and a homemade drawer/platform over the wheel wells that perfectly fits a queen-size mattress. It's a great car-camping rig, only issue I find is the combination of maintaining air-flow on hot summer nights, combined with dealing with bugs, especially if its raining. It's not uncommon for us to get nighttime temps in the mid-70's and quite humid, and I sleep warm enough that it's tough to be comfortable without having the windows and tailgate open to maintain airflow--but then we get eaten alive.
I've found the sliding screens on my wing-doors aren't enough so I made window-size screens from bug-netting and sewed hook-side velcro around the perimeter, which sticks perfectly to the carpeted interior of my cap allowing me to keep the side windows wide-open, yet bug-free--can see these in the image. This is great, except if it rains I have to at least most-ly close the side windows to stay dry, and that eliminates the airflow. I'd like to rig something for my tailgate, and thinking I may have to build it myself. I'm wondering if anyone has found an "awning" or similar that 1) isnt total junk, 2) doesnt take a lot of setup and is relatively secure, and 3) includes both rain and bug protection to allow keeping tailgate and cap-door wide open?
I'm thinking a waterproof "tarp" that fits over the open cap door with reinforced corners for durability, and secures over the cap behind the hinge with straps anchored to wheel-well or wheel for waterproofness, with a hanging bug-net that secures to the tailgate-itself either with strong magnets or spring-clamps, and a large zippered opening for hasty midnight egress. This would hang around the outside of the cap door and tailgate to give the extra 2'-ish inside, as well as allow keeping this open while staying dry and bug-free. In essence this would be a waterproof/bug-proof vestibule fitted to a truck-cap and tailgate. I dont think it would be all that hard to make, but I dont have a ton of time--before I go and fab this myself, has anyone found a good solution for this? I've found a couple things like this from REI, kelty, slumberjack, etc, but none have any bug protection, and all seem over-engineered without adding much functionality for what I want: https://www.rei.com/product/193121/rei-co-op-trailgate-vehicle-shelter?sku=1931210001&store=214&cm_mmc=PLA_Google|21700000001700551_1931210001|92700067750416463|PB|71700000074422334&gclid=CjwKCAjwoMSWBhAdEiwAVJ2ndnSj-Lluty62TpvcwZlDb1Q9AZ28YIumfbngNwFUGCwgGwRQexK6ARoCLWcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I've found the sliding screens on my wing-doors aren't enough so I made window-size screens from bug-netting and sewed hook-side velcro around the perimeter, which sticks perfectly to the carpeted interior of my cap allowing me to keep the side windows wide-open, yet bug-free--can see these in the image. This is great, except if it rains I have to at least most-ly close the side windows to stay dry, and that eliminates the airflow. I'd like to rig something for my tailgate, and thinking I may have to build it myself. I'm wondering if anyone has found an "awning" or similar that 1) isnt total junk, 2) doesnt take a lot of setup and is relatively secure, and 3) includes both rain and bug protection to allow keeping tailgate and cap-door wide open?
I'm thinking a waterproof "tarp" that fits over the open cap door with reinforced corners for durability, and secures over the cap behind the hinge with straps anchored to wheel-well or wheel for waterproofness, with a hanging bug-net that secures to the tailgate-itself either with strong magnets or spring-clamps, and a large zippered opening for hasty midnight egress. This would hang around the outside of the cap door and tailgate to give the extra 2'-ish inside, as well as allow keeping this open while staying dry and bug-free. In essence this would be a waterproof/bug-proof vestibule fitted to a truck-cap and tailgate. I dont think it would be all that hard to make, but I dont have a ton of time--before I go and fab this myself, has anyone found a good solution for this? I've found a couple things like this from REI, kelty, slumberjack, etc, but none have any bug protection, and all seem over-engineered without adding much functionality for what I want: https://www.rei.com/product/193121/rei-co-op-trailgate-vehicle-shelter?sku=1931210001&store=214&cm_mmc=PLA_Google|21700000001700551_1931210001|92700067750416463|PB|71700000074422334&gclid=CjwKCAjwoMSWBhAdEiwAVJ2ndnSj-Lluty62TpvcwZlDb1Q9AZ28YIumfbngNwFUGCwgGwRQexK6ARoCLWcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
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